2021 Benito Santos 'Saiar' Albarino Rias Baixas

Winemaker Notes: Benito Santos is a central figure in the modern history of Albariño and the Rías Baixas D.O. He began working in his grandfather’s vineyards in the 1930s and made wine for serving in his bar – wines that repeatedly won prizes in the annual Fiesta de Albariño in Cambados. He was instrumental in the creation of the Rías Baixas D.O. in the 1980s. The current owners now farm three vineyards in the Val do Salnés subzone of Rías Baixas, each of which is next to and named after an ancient church: Saiar, Bemil, and Xoan. All of the vineyards are now certified organic – a rarity in rainy, mildew-prone Rías Baixas – and winemaking uses only native yeasts and minimal sulfur.

The Albarino is salty, mineral, and structured, with ample fruit. It is is ripe and balanced, with notes of peaches, green apples, white flowers, and tropical fruit. Its soft texture is countered by great acidity that keeps the flavors fresh and lively.